Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not an easy disease to manage, as you may already know. The numerous symptoms that limit your ability to do things, the wide array of commonly linked diseases and illnesses, and thinking about life before your diagnosis all contribute to the difficulties you may have managing your disease.
There is one illness that is commonly linked to COPD in particular that a lot of people don’t like to talk about, depression. Like COPD, there is a stigma associated with depression, which needs to be broken.
If you suffer from COPD related depression, know that you are not alone. A study done by Abebaw Yohannes, PhD, from Manchester Metropolitan University estimates that as many as 40% of COPD patients will develop clinically significant depression over the course of their disease. In fact, it’s reported that levels of depression are greater in people with COPD than people suffering from other chronic diseases.
In this post we are going to briefly go over why COPD and depression are commonly linked and how depression affects COPD. Then we will go in-depth on different ways you can treat depression, some you may already know and some you may not!
All of these changes can be a lot to take in at once, especially after your initial diagnosis. It can be overwhelming and cause you to think negative thoughts and feel hopeless.
Although COPD related depression is common after you get diagnosed, many people with COPD don’t develop depression until later on in the disease. This can happen for a number of different reasons:
Don’t worry we will go over how to combat these issues in a little bit.
Plain and simple, depression and COPD don’t mix well. Both illnesses are debilitating and they feed off of each other in negative ways. Depression can:
Because everyone is different, these are general ways depression can affect your COPD. Your depression could be affecting you in completely different ways, and that’s okay. You just need to make sure you address the issue at hand and treat your depression as soon as possible.
Hands down, the best thing you can do if you think you suffer from depression is to seek out professional help. Talking to a psychiatrist would be your best option, but you can even go speak with your regular doctor about being depressed. If you go to your regular doctor, they may refer you to a psychiatrist to help you get the most out of your treatment.
Getting professional help will give you a higher chance of successfully managing and beating your depression. Your doctor or psychiatrist will listen to what you have been experiencing and assess your situation to offer the best treatment options and coping strategies they think will work for you. The treatment options and coping strategies can range from prescription medications like anti-depressants to recommending that you exercise more.
Not only will you receive treatment options, you will also have a safe place to talk about anything and everything on your mind. This could be one of the most beneficial aspects of getting professional help. Your psychiatrist will openly listen to whatever it is you have to say and provide you with support and encouragement. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
In order for you to be able to manage your COPD and your depression to the best of your ability, you need to set goals that you are striving to reach. You can have daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, etc. Your doctor or your psychiatrist will be a great help when it comes to setting these personal goals. You two will work together to determine what works best for you.
In short, individual therapy will provide you with support and encouragement while teaching you how to set new goals and learn new coping strategies.
When you’re battling a disease/illness like COPD or depression having a tight knit support system of family and friends can make a significant difference in your ability to effectively manage the disease. Unfortunately due to the stigma associated with both illnesses, and the fact that your family and friends might not understand what you’re going through, you might not feel like you have that tight knit support group.
Family therapy is a great way to help shape your support system. This family therapy is a bit different than what you may be thinking. It’s not for troubled families (although it can be); it’s a place for you to bring your family to help educate them about your disease; COPD, depression, or both, and what you’re going through.
Family therapy doesn’t just benefit you. Whether you realize it or not, your family is going through a lot too. Going to family therapy for your COPD or COPD related depression can help your family adjust well to the changes you are going through.
COPD and depression share a lot of symptoms and side effects like fatigue, lack of motivation, and lack of confidence that prevent you from exercising or being active. However, exercising and being active are two of the most effective ways to treat and manage both illnesses.
Exercising is tough to incorporate into your regular schedule, but when you’re depressed and battling COPD it can almost seem impossible. However, exercising doesn’t just benefit you in physical ways, it can improve your self-confidence, improve your general mood, regulate your sleeping patterns, improve your appetite and provide you with a sense of accomplishment. All of which will help you manage and beat your depression!
When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins that interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce the perception of pain. Endorphins are also known to trigger a positive feeling in your body that can uplift your mood and give you a euphoric feeling or a “runner’s high”. The effects you get from endorphins being released in your brain, like improving your mood and regulating your sleep schedule, can last for up to a few days, so consistency is key when you are using exercise to ward off feelings of depression.
Along with the uplifting and euphoric feeling from an endorphin release, exercising provides you with a feeling of accomplishment. No matter if you walked for 3 miles and blew past your daily goal, or if you had to cut your workout short to make sure you didn’t over do it you are still doing more than those sitting on the couch. That is something to be proud of! You are still doing your best and don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Two common causes for COPD related depression include sleep deprivation and appetite disturbances. While there are a handful of reasons why you may have troubles sleeping or eating, exercising can help regulate your sleep schedule and your appetite.
Having a regular workout routine will burn more calories and make you hungry when you might not normally have an appetite. Not to mention, your body NEEDS to be replenished with protein and nutrients after a workout.
Sleeping problems associated with COPD and d epression are much more common than you might think. Certain medications might interfere with your sleep schedule, anxiety can keep you up at night, and feeling short of breath definitely makes it hard to fall asleep.
Having a regular exercise routine can help regulate your sleep schedule by causing you to feel more tired at the end of the day, the endorphins released during your workout will help ward off feelings of anxiety, and it can strengthen the muscles around your lungs and in your diaphragm to help alleviate the feeling of breathlessness.
Before you start adding exercise to your daily routine, make sure you speak with your doctor first. They will know what you can and cannot do and they will work with you to set goals and as you progress you will be able to add more to your workouts.
For those of you who have gotten the okay from your doctor, here are a few places you can go to get some great exercise tips online for free!
Sit and Be Fit was founded in 1985 by registered nurse Mary Ann Wilson. It is a non-profit organization committed to healthy aging advocacy that has been hugely successful. You will find a plethora of video exercises that are easy to do in the comfort of your own home on the Sit and Be Fit website and they even have a COPD section that focuses on breathing exercises.
Eldergym is an online senior fitness resource that promotes safe, simple, and effective exercises for seniors and the elderly. Doug Schrift, the creator of Eldergym, is a Physical Therpaist, Certified Geriatric Specialist, and a senior fitness coach. On the website you will find 80 easy-to-follow workout videos that you can access for free! You can also order workout equipment and DVDs to use at home.
HASfit is a fantastic resource at your disposal. It has a wide variety of video workouts for you to follow that will help strengthen your muscles, improve your stamina, and more. Along with video workouts HASfit is complete with two blogs (one for nutrition and one for exercise), and it has it’s own nutrition section. You can join the HASfit community for free or you can just visit the site, watch their videos, and read their articles.
I know we just discussed exercising and becoming more active might sound like the same type of advice, but don’t worry, this one has nothing to do with working out. Self-confidence goes a long way when you’re dealing with an illness like COPD or depression. Unfortunately both illnesses tend to find ways to diminish your self-confidence, but that doesn’t have to happen!
It’s easier said than done, but if you can become more active and do things you truly enjoy you will notice an upswing in your self-confidence. It really doesn’t matter what you do to become more active as long as it’s something you love to do or want to try doing. You don’t have to pick a physical activity, it can be something like meeting with friends to play cards, taking your grandchildren to the movies, or going out to dinner with your loved one.
Making this kind of change in your life probably won’t happen overnight and that’s completely okay! There will be some trial and error trying to find new things you like to do and it may take some time for your body to get used to being more active.
Check out this list if you are looking for some ideas on how you can become more active:
Getting active in this way can be a huge morale booster. Getting out of your house and subjecting yourself to social interaction will improve your self-confidence and help you cope with both depression and COPD.
Your family and friends will always be a part of your support group, but sometimes they might not fully understand what you’re going through. Not to mention, it can be easier to talk to someone who knows exactly what you are going through. Whether you like to interact with people online or in person, there are numerous COPD support groups to choose from.
Pulmonary rehab has been hailed as one of the most important steps to successfully manage and treat your COPD. It is a program that puts you together with medical professionals, typically pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, and nurses along with other people who have COPD or another respiratory disease.
Depending on your situation and what your doctor recommends, pulmonary rehab programs typically last anywhere from 4-12 weeks. You will meet 2-3 times per week with the same group and same medical professionals to cover almost every aspect of treating COPD.
While you are in a pulmonary rehab program you will learn aerobic, strength, and breathing exercises and go through entire workouts with supervision from the medical professionals. This will ensure that you are doing your workouts correctly and that you aren’t over exerting yourself to prepare you for life after pulmonary rehab.
On top of exercising, the amount of knowledge you will gain from going to pulmonary rehab is incredible! The medical professionals will work with you to address your concerns, go over things like dieting for COPD and how to spot exacerbation-warning signs, and they will be there to act as a support system.
Along with getting support from the medical professionals running your pulmonary rehab program, you will be able to form new friendships with the other people in your program. As you build these relationships you will grow a new support system full of people you can relate to and know exactly what you’re going through.
The support system you build during your pulmonary rehab shouldn’t disband once you all complete your rehab. It’s a great way to keep each other accountable and you can make plans to do things together like exercising, shopping, or just spending time together to get out of the house.
If you are interested in joining a pulmonary rehab program you can Google “pulmonary rehab programs near me” or visit these links to find a place close to home:
Online support groups for COPD are growing quickly and popping up everywhere. From Facebook to online forums you will be sure to find a number of COPD support groups that will benefit you. The great thing about online support groups is that you can access them at home or on the go and at any time of day.
If you’re struggling with side-effects from medications, having a hard time recovering from an exacerbation, or don’t know what to do in certain situations someone from these support groups will be able to offer help or just listen to what you have to say. Depending on the group or forum, there may be a few pulmonologists or respiratory therapists that offer great advice and post very helpful articles.
These groups and forums are a great way to help combat COPD related depression. You get to see how you are not alone in your battle and you will learn new coping strategies. You will see how other people manage their COPD and gain inspiration from them. And as you become more active in the groups you will learn how you can offer help to those struggling with certain aspects of their disease.
It seems like Facebook groups are the most active online support groups for COPD with online forums being the second most active. We recommend joining multiple Facebook groups and checking out a few forums. Here is a list of some of the more active and supportive Facebook groups and online forums:
It may seem unconventional, but owning a pet can help improve your COPD and it can make a significant difference in your fight against depression. If you have ever had a pet you know exactly what kind of joy and happiness they can bring you, no matter how big of a pain in the butt they can be. Animals are amazing companions and studies have shown that having a pet can improve your mood and reduce tension.
Ian Cook, MD, psychiatrist and director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA says, “Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression.” Here is a list of ways a pet can help you fight off depression:
Before you go out and adopt or buy a pet, there are a few things you need to consider. Are you comfortable with animals? Is your depression too severe to take on added responsibilities? Do you suffer from bad allergies? Can you afford a pet? You need to make sure that having a pet is something that will benefit you, not make your situation worse.
In the past vitamin D has been linked to numerous health-benefits ranging from strengthening your bones to lowering your blood pressure. Recently researchers have found that vitamin D may play a role in many other areas of health; including mental health.
While more research is needed, preliminary research has linked low levels of vitamin D to depression. According to a study done in 2013:
In 2012, a study done in Norway set out to see whether the symptoms of depression were related to levels of vitamin D in the blood and it also looked to see if taking a vitamin D supplement affected symptoms of depression in people who had low vitamin D levels. The study found that:
On the contrary, a 2008 research study from Norway found that people taking large amounts of vitamin D improved their depression symptoms. The 2008 study also found that the patients with more severe depression experienced the biggest effect from taking vitamin D supplements.
Although more research is needed to fully grasp the impact vitamin D can have on depression, it may have a positive effect on you. As an added bonus, there have been studies that show vitamin D can help prevent COPD exacerbations.
The only way to truly know if your vitamin D levels are low is to be tested by your doctor, however, if you notice any of the following symptoms you may want to get tested for vitamin D deficiency:
Increasing your vitamin D levels is pretty simple, but you will want to speak with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Your doctor will be able to recommend a specific amount of vitamin D to combat your low levels and they will advise you on other ways to increase your vitamin D levels.
Here is a list of common ways to increase your vitamin D levels:
Meditation is more than just sitting down, changing your breathing pattern, and doing nothing. It is the act of deeply focusing your mind for a period of time as a method of relaxation to actively train it to increase awareness.
In a study done in 2014 by Madhav Goyal, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor in the Division or General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Goyal found that meditation provided as much relief from depression symptoms as antidepressants. The study also found no harm ever came from meditation.
Over the course of the study, researchers focused on 47 clinical trials that included 3,515 participants with a variety of mental and physical health issues ranging from depression to cancer. They found that mindfulness meditation showed the most promise and the best results.
Mindfulness meditation is a form of Buddhist self-awareness that promotes precise, non-judgmental attention to the moment at hand. It puts an emphasis on the acceptance of feelings and thoughts without judgment and the relaxation of your mind and body. You can learn more about mindfulness meditation and how to practice it here:
There are multiple types of meditation so if mindfulness meditation doesn’t do much for you, look into another type. You will probably see that the relaxation techniques don’t just benefit your mental health, but they can also help improve your COPD. The different breathing exercises incorporated in meditation will help strengthen your diaphragm and the act of meditating may help you come to terms with your diagnosis of COPD.
Having a healthy diet is essential to successfully treat and manage COPD, but what about depression? Your diet can have a significant impact on your mental health. You know the saying, "You are what you eat." We teamed up with nutritionist and best-selling author Kellie Hill to create a COPD meal plan that you can download for free! Click here to download your free COPD Meal plan.
One thing you may have noticed at the beginning of this post is that some symptoms of COPD and depression overlap which can make it increasingly difficult for you to determine if you are actually depressed. That is why it is so important for you to stay in-tune with your body and your mind.
If you think you may be depressed, don’t sit around and wait for it to pass. Address the problem right away to treat your depression and start by getting in contact with your doctor. If left untreated, your depression can cause your COPD to worsen and make it harder to recover.
If you have any tips for others struggling to cope with COPD related depression or if you have some tips on how to keep a positive attitude please share them below in the comments!
If you haven't downloaded it already, click the image below to get your free COPD meal plan and see how much a healthy diet can help you!
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Sources:
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